The Silvern Mountains

Realized

Slowly he stripped off his dark red coat and hung it on his chair in his usual place. Additionally he couldn't stop staring. Actually, this should be a normal evening in his boring local bar. But there was this dark beauty. With her tight-fitting black dress she looked like a snake. Oh yes, a snake, that's what she was.

Valtor couldn't take his eyes off her. She noticed him too as she straightened her long black hair. She grinned and walked over to him, swinging her hips elegantly. He growled, but inevitably had to stare at her.

"Do you think I am attractive?", She asked sweetly and sat down on the other site.

"What do you want here?" Valtor asked with a hiss, "You don't want to spoil my beer, do you?"

He felt the looks of the other people in the room. They all stared at this elegant woman in front of him. She didn't fit into this pub where lost souls got drunk to endure how people would made fun of their failures the next morning. No, this witch didn't know the word 'failure'. Not only was her appearance perfect.

"Stop drinking," she whispered, "I can help you enhance your reputation."

A waiter took Valtor's order while the other only waved aside. Then he replied almost with a hiss: "This Winx - you must have heard of them - help me to destroy them and let me be the only winner, then gladly."

"So please," she said disparagingly, "I don't deal with small livestock. That is up to you. I want to take you on a mission that shouldn't be done alone. You can try to regain awareness of your powers. Your magic was a gift that nobody receives that easily. "

Valtor looked her in the eyes. They flashed mischievously. He always used to think that they should be red. Like the blood of those she had defeated. He felt certain unease. But otherwise he didn't want to rot in that shed.

"Are you going to kill me?" He asked straight out.

She grinned diabolically: "Only if it absolutely has to be."

Valtor sighed resignedly: "You are the worst little sister i can imagine. What is your plan?"

The woman came closer to Valtor: "It is said that in the silver mountains, on the edge of Domino, there is a kind of reserve of the strength of the ancestral witches. That's why I need you. You were more commited to them than I was. You knew them better."

A waiter brought the ordered beer. Valtor immediately took a swig and laughed: "How am I supposed to be a great help? They used me. I didn't even know anything about this. "

"Think about my offer," she said seriously and stood up, "Come with me, or get lost in this shed. If you need me, keep an eye on crows."

Valtor watched her leaving and mumbled, "Better I keep an eye on snakes. That is the right notation for you, Celeste."

That evening Valtor thought for a long time about what he could do on such a mission. It was true. He hadn't any confidence in his strength. Or in other people. Or in himself.

At the same time as always, he got his bill and but noticed that he was still having his first beer. Shortly afterwards, he was thinking while going down the streets of the town where he had found refuge after the Winx had declare him dead. The city of losers, as Valtor himself called it. Evil reigned on this planet, and this city was the only place where losers could live in peace. Almost.

Valtor saw two shadows behind him. At first he thought of usually muggers. He could have dealt with them before they attacked. But then there came two guys with their hair combed back and in fine suits.

The wizard stopped and asked, without turning around again: "Can I help you gentlemen?"

He could hear these men laughing until one of them said, "We saw the Grand Witch with you. What secrets did she tell a cockroach like you? "

"Grand Witch?" Valtor murmured, wondering what titled his little sister had already achieved. He replied, "Nothing important. Siblings can be interested in the life of the other, right?"

One of the shadows jumped at him. Valtor dodged and turned elegantly in the direction of the two men: "What exactly do you want to know?"

The other man ran towards him and kicked first. When Valtor blocked the kick, he quipped, "How abject my life is?" The second man jumped, his hand glowing as he tried to land on Valtor and hit him with his fist. Valtor created a shield, grabbed the man's hand and tossed him away. Then he pronounced the next option: "Or how the Grand Witch eats men like you for breakfast?"

The first man had enough time to cast a more powerful spell. A sticky, dark compound came from everywhere, aiming to hold Valtor in place. The wizard thought for a moment. If he jumped, the compound would hit him. So he decided to create a protective shield around himself and waited. The black compound covered everything. He knew the men would look for him. When they finally appeared in front of him, Valtor sent them an explosion of fire while he was still in the protective shield. The black compound was spread all over the street and the men bounced off the next house wall. Valtor hided in a narrow alley and waited again. The men looked for him but couldn't find him. When they left, Valtor ran into his apartment as fast as he could.

It was in a rotten skyscraper and had just enough space for him. A bed, a TV, a small kitchen and an even smaller bathroom - that was his world. Anyway, he insisted on fixing a poster of the Winx and a couple of arrows on the wall. He was really proud of how he always could hit Bloom's heart exactly from his bed. If you could call it pride...

His first act was to look in the mirror. He had never noticed how neglected he was. A shaggy beard had grown, he looked exhausted and thin. All in all, he looked unkempt. He sighed and looked for a razor. The superfluous beard had to go. He washed immediately afterwards and used magic to remove the stains from his clothes. Then he went to sleep immediately without watching any talk shows with unknown celebrities until five in the morning and then being woken up by the people in the hallway at eight.

When Valtor woke up the next morning, got ready for the day, and looked at himself in the mirror, he could hardly believe his eyes. There were only small things and yet he could recognize his old self again.

He remembered what had happened last night and he knew that he didn't want to end up as abject as he was before. He ran outside and into the forest that abut on his neighborhood. He was often here to reproach himself. But not today. Today he was full of activity. He ran purposeful on a clearing where countless crows were already sitting.

"Bring Celeste to me" he yelled at them and they rose into the air. Only a few minutes later she was standing in front of him in her everyday clothes and said, "How nice that you are helping me. Let's not waste any time. "